


From Limbo

by neosaiyanangel



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Musicals), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Battle, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/F, Limbo, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25231303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neosaiyanangel/pseuds/neosaiyanangel
Summary: Sheba only knew that she existed in a nothingness before a pink-haired goddess freed her from nonexistence. She is then given a choice - a wish - for her future.
Relationships: Sheba Shingetsu Astarte/Tomoe Mami
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3
Collections: Little Black Dress Exchange 2020





	From Limbo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VampirePaladin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/gifts).



Sheba existed. At least, she thought she did. There was nothing she could move. Nothing she could do but  _ exist _ in empty darkness. No sound, no sight, no touch. Nothing but being aware.

What had happened? Why had it ended up like this? She had just found a true friend. Again, her life was torn asunder. She used to be Astarte. She used to be Sheba. Now who was she?

Suddenly a light surrounded her. It was warm and welcoming. Sheba couldn’t help but to curl up into it as best she could. It was  _ beautiful _ …

“Hello.” Somehow she could ‘see’ a young girl in front of her. Her pink hair was overflowing and she could see the universe in her white dress. Her golden eyes were welcoming and brilliant. Sheba  _ knew _ this had to be a goddess. The girl said, “You seem to be trapped in limbo.”

“Limbo?” Was that what this nothingness was? She was left adrift in nothing?

“Here. Let me free you.”

The girl reached her hand out and pulled on Sheba. Chains that she hadn’t noticed broke into shining fragments that dissolved and floated away. Sheba reached out and saw her hand form as soon as she grasped the outstretched hand. Then she  _ actually _ existed. Her body was solid once again, her sailor uniform for some reason being her only clothes.

“I sensed a magical girl in distress. I had to pull apart a few layers of reality to find you.” The girl circled around her. “I see you’re a Sailor Scout of some type. It seems your reality rejected you.”

Sheba’s heart sank with those words. “I can’t go home?”

The girl shook her head. “No. You have no form there. You would simply be shoved back out.”

Sheba took an empty breath in, then out. Okay. So, she couldn’t go back. ...Did she really want to? Everything she loved was gone. She lost her birthright. There was nothing left. She asked, “So. Where will I go?”

“You can come with me.” The goddess stopped in front of Sheba. “You’ll have a home in my world. All I need from you…” She spread her arms wide. “...is a wish.”

“A wish?” Sheba was confused. “Like, a wish-wish?”

“Yes. Tell me, what does your heart desire? What gives you hope for a better world, and for yourself?”

Sheba thought hard on it. She felt...uneasy. A wish? With no strings attached? Skeptically, she queried, “What do I have to do in return?”

“Become a magical girl and fight against despair. Protect the world from the grief of Wraiths,” the girl answered simply. “Do this and you fulfill your contract made with the wish.”

“I can wish for anything?”

The girl nodded. “Anything. I can feel your ties to fate. You’ll make for a good magical girl. You’ll make a difference.”

“Hm…” Should she pull a hat trick and wish to go home? Or what about being awakened to her full power? Or, perhaps, she could simply wish to have Usagi with her one last time. She was a good friend.

...No. This was to make her happy. What would make her happy? What would give her hope for her life? What would make Sheba, not Sailor Astarte, happy?

She decided.

* * *

Sheba dodged a blast from the Wraith she was facing off against. The stupid thing just wouldn’t go down! She’d hit it  _ twice _ with Solomon Jihad and it hadn’t faltered once. It felt like it would never end. Then again, it was a different type of Wraith than the others. She should’ve expected it wouldn’t work the same.

“Solomon Jihad!” she shouted as she attacked it again in the same spot. This time it seemed to do something; it fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

She laughed in relief.

Then she fell to the ground in agony as something hit her from behind.

Sheba scrabbled to her feet as she realized that a Wraith had snuck up behind her. That was a surprise; she could’ve sworn she took down the rest of the group with her initial sneak attack.

“Solomon Versus!” She healed herself quickly and jumped to her feet.

Great. She was pincered. This was one of the times that she wished she was in her home universe. There she had backup. Here? She was alone.

Deciding to take down the weaker link, she pressed her advantage as she ran to the side. “Solomon Jihad!”

Her attack was stopped dead by a shot from the downed Wraith. An explosion ripped through the area, making Sheba fly across the ground and hit the wall of the nearby construction site with a sickening crunch. She fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Her tiara had cracked, as had the holding cradle for her Soul Gem. Thankfully, her Soul Gem on her chest was still whole, though it was darkening.

Sheba stumbled to her feet as the two Wraiths bore down on her. She wiped the blood from her lip and sighed.

So. This was how she was going out. Alone, with no one. She bitterly smirked. So much for her wish.

She was powering up for one last explosive finale to take them both down when it happened.

The sound of two guns firing filled the air. A bullet went straight through one Wraith, the disruptive effect of it suddenly stopping, and stuck in the other while another bullet just went straight for the intact Wraith. The wounded Wraith shattered, dissolving into the black goop with a scattering of the Grief Fragments, while the still-standing Wraith recoiled.

Sheba wasted no time in capitalizing on the opening. “Solomon Jihad!”

The attack hit home. The Wraith shattered just as the other did. The acrid mist that accompanied Wraiths finally began to dissipate. Sheba breathed a sigh of relief before limping to the nearest Grief Fragment. She needed to cleanse her Soul Gem before she could heal herself.

She detached her Soul Gem from her chest and set it near the pile of Grief Fragments. The inky blackness that had almost swallowed her gem was being drained by the fragments. She looked up at the sound of incoming footsteps.

“Thank you!” Sheba, relieved, waved in the direction of where the battle started. “There are more Grief Fragments over there.”

“I don’t need any,” the other magical girl said.

Sheba looked up, trying not to shrink in on herself as she was confronted by the other girl. While she wasn’t the best with social things, she should be able to handle talking to another girl. Especially another  _ magical _ girl.

The other girl had an interesting beige and brown outfit. Her hair was a brilliant gold while there was a delicate flower decoration tilted in her hair. Sheba could see that the other girl’s Soul Gem was in the flower.

There was something, though...Sheba could feel herself being pulled to her. Or could she? Was that her imagination?

“My name is Mami,” the girl said, “And I’ve been looking for you.”

Sheba blinked. “You, you’ve been looking for me?”

Mami nodded. “Yes. Ever since the strings of fate were connected.”

“Strings of...fate?” Sheba remembered the goddess mentioning something like that. But was it really that literal?

“I can see them,” Mami explained. “It took me by surprise when several more strings connected to me a few weeks ago! I’ve been tracing them, slowly, over the last while.” She ducked down and took Sheba’s hands into her own. “We’re supposed to be together. I can feel it.”

Sheba stuttered, “What?! Together together!? I, I mean we just met and you don’t know me and I  _ certainly _ don’t know you…!”

“We should get to know each other better then. I’m confident that we’re meant to be. I’m sure I’ll be proven right.”

“You’re putting an awful lot of stock into your ‘strings’,” Sheba noted with no malice. It actually interested her. Maybe fate really was calling.

“We’ll see who’s right,” Mami repeated. “I can arrange for a nice afternoon tea date tomorrow. Do you have any plans?”

“No.” Sheba felt compelled to admit, “I don’t really have a home, either.”

“How interesting!” Mami clapped her hands. “I happen to know of an apartment under mine that has an opening. I can be a reference.”

“You’d really trust me that much? What if the strings mean that I’ll be your worst enemy?” Sheba couldn’t help but to fret, especially considering what had happened with her friends in her previous life.

“I doubt it. After all…” Mami gave Sheba an open smile. “...one of the strings is red.”

This time a blush rushed through her entire face. “I, I, ah, uhm…” She pulled her hands from Mami’s so she could cover her face. “Ahhhh…”

“Oh my.” Sheba could see through her fingers that Mami had pulled out a handkerchief. “Are you okay?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m fine. I just…” Sheba took a few breaths. It was unexpected. All of it, unexpected. Was this what her wish was leading her to?  _ Who _ her wish was leading her to?

Maybe...she should give it a chance.

“I, uhm…” Sheba suddenly stood and said, “Let’s gather the Grief Fragments and figure it out from there.”

“Right.” Mami joined her in gathering the fragments from the various piles of dead Wraiths.

Sheba took a breath and sighed. So. This is where she goes. Where she’s supposed to be. Was that what the pink-haired girl meant about lonely souls? It was a comment she’d made after Sheba had made her wish.

Her wish…

_ I wish I wasn’t alone anymore _

...seemed to have come true.


End file.
